Trio of Penguin chicks hatched at Birdland

A TRIO of penguin chicks has hatched out at Birdland Park & Gardens in Gloucestershire, England. All three, which were born in July at the wildlife attraction are doing well and keepers are pleased to see how they are rapidly growing. 

#Birdland is home to a colony of captive-bred Humboldt penguins who live alongside Britain’s only breeding group of king penguins.

Head keeper Alistair Keen said: ‘This year we created a series of nesting sites within the rockwork of their display. The nesting areas mimic those in the wild and definitely seem to be working well as there are a number of pairs who have been sitting on eggs and displaying typical courtship and nesting behaviour.’

Originally from South America, the Humboldt penguin is found in and around coastal Peru and Chile. The penguin gets its name from the cold water current it swims in, which was discovered by the explorer Alexander von Humboldt.

Humboldt penguins can live for more than 30 years in captivity. In the wild, they are under threat from climate change, overfishing, and acidification of the oceans. They are now officially listed as 'vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Birdland has more than 500 birds.

www.birdland.co.uk

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